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Thunder Drake
Massive and powerful, this draconic beast strides forwards on four powerful legs bound by the membranes of its wings, giving it an odd, scuttling gait. The thing has two heads bristling with horns, both of which snap and slaver and stare with milky eyes the size of shields. The creature is deathly pale in color, and is as tall as a house.

Thunder Drake CR 14
Usually N Gargantuan Dragon
Init +4; Senses darkvision 120 feet, superior low-light vision, Listen +1, Spot +32
Defense
AC 26, touch 6, flat-footed 26
(-4 size, +20 natural)
hp 216 (16d12+112)
Fort +17, Ref +10, Will +11
Immune paralysis, sonic, sleep
DR 10/magic; SR 24
Offense
Spd 30ft (6 sq), climb 30ft, fly 120ft (poor)
Melee 2 bites +25 (3d6+12 plus 1d8 sonic) and 2 claws +19 melee (1d8+6)
Special Attacks roar, thunderous rend
Space 20ft; Reach 15ft (20ft with bites)
Tactics
Before Combat A thunder drake prefers to attack from ambush, swooping down on unsuspecting foes.
During Combat A thunder drake opens with its roar, scattering and deafening the opposition. It then lands and engages in melee with the largest, most edible-looking opponent, tearing it apart with a thunderous rend.
Morale Thunder drakes are stupid, but know when they are beaten. They flee if reduced to 30 or less hit points.
Statistics
Abilities Str 35, Dex 11, Con 24, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 7
Base Attack +16; Grapple +40
Feats Ability Focus (roar), Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Snatch, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Climb +20, Hide +7, Move Silently +19, Spot +32
Languages Understands Draconic
Ecology
Environment Temperate mountains and underground
Organization Solitary or pair
Treasure Half standard
Advancement 17-32 HD (Gargantuan), 33-48 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment—
Special Abilities
Roar (Su) A thunder drake can roar as a standard action, shaking the very earth. All creatures within a 120 foot radius of a roaring thunder drake must succeed a DC 27 Fortitude save or be deafened and inflicted with pain for 1d4 minutes. This pain imposes a -4 penalty on all attack rolls, skill checks and ability checks, as per the symbol of pain spell. All creatures on the ground within 120 feet of a roaring thunder drake must also make a DC 27 Reflex save or be knocked prone. This is a sonic effect. The save DC is Constitution based.

Superior Low-Light Vision (Ex) A thunder drake can see five times as far as a human in dim light.

Thunderous Rend (Ex) When a thunder drake hits a single target with both bite attacks, it pulls the foe apart whilst rumbling, creating numbing vibrations in its enemy’s body. This deals an extra 6d6+18 damage and the foe must make a DC 25 Fortitude save or be stunned for one round. The save DC is Constitution based.

Skills Thunder drakes have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.

The largest and strongest of the drake species, thunder drakes are barely sapient creatures with little motivation other than constant hunger. These monsters are over forty feet long and weigh more than six tons.

Ecology
Whereas the other drakes are believed by draconic scholars to be the corruption of the blood of true wyrms by their distaff and neglected cousins the gray dragons, thunder drakes are rumored to be the hybrid descendants of gray dragons and non-draconic beasts, such as the sonic-using ythraks or the great leathery-winged reptiles of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords. Thunder drakes do certainly have dull minds, but their massive size and hunger mean they are often the dominant predator wherever they lair, feeding on megafauna, giants and entire villages of humanoids. They are hunted in turn by true dragons, who find their very existence a grave insult, and adventurers, usually seeking to avenge the aforementioned villages of humanoids.

Habitat and Society
Their minds barely above the level of animal instinct, thunder drakes have little in the ways of a society. Their territories are large and well-maintained, and unless seized with the urge to mate (which occurs perhaps once every forty years), they will chase away other thunder drakes. A mating pair of thunder drakes will court and hunt together for upwards of one month before mating and going their separate ways—the hunts of a pair of thunder drakes include such prey as entire enclaves of stone giants or herds of mammoths. Thunder drakes have no parental care—eggs are hidden somewhere safe, then abandoned. Hatchlings can fly within minutes of their birth, and disperse rapidly. Unless killed by violence, a thunder drake can live upwards of five hundred years.

Thunder drakes are comfortable both above and below ground. In the Darklands, they lair in the largest of caverns and abysses, in order to have enough room to stretch their wings. Above ground, they prefer large caves as lairs, but prowl mountain slopes and soar over canyons to find food. They are nocturnal, using their immense eyes to pick out sleeping herds and the lights of travelers.

Treasure
Although thunder drakes are dim, they share the draconic lust for treasure. Any interesting trinket they don’t accidentally overlook and swallow gets dragged back to their lairs. In addition, the horn of a thunder drake can be used as a material component in the creation of a horn of blasting, a horn of fog or a horn of Valhalla—if so used, the price to create the magic item in question is halved.

Copyright 2008 Nicholas Herold. The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting is copyright 2008 Paizo Publishing.